But now, Paul Monti has succeeded in changing the no-flag rule at the National Cemetery, at least for the Memorial Day weekend. He, and a handful of volunteers, will be placing 50,000 flags at the cemetery, one on every nameplate.

“Flags represent everything that we hold dear in this country…and they are reminders that a lot of people gave their lives so we can live free,” said Monti.

So Saturday morning, the volunteers will show up in Bourne to start the back-breaking job of placing the small flags in the ground.

The graceful hills of the cemetery will be covered with red, white, and blue, a colorful contrast to the solid green of the grass, which can sometimes obscure the nameplates of the 47,000 people who are buried there.